REASSURANCES have been offered that Homebase is here to stay in Hexham, at least for the time being.

The brand itself it set to disappear after the DIY chain, owned by Home Retail Group, was taken over this summer by Australia’s biggest hardware retailer, Bunnings Warehouse.

Following the £340m buy-out of the 265 Homebase stores nationwide, the plan is to rebrand them with the Bunnings identity over the period of the next three to five years.

In Hexham, the Habitat concession – which itself has been sold on to Sainsbury’s – has already been withdrawn from the store on the Tyne Valley Retail Park, which is adjacent to Hexham railway station.

A spokesman for Homebase said: “There are no current plans to close Homebase Hexham. The mini Habitat concession closed at the beginning of September in order to make room for a wider range of home improvement and garden products at ‘always low prices’.

“All of its team members have been offered roles at Homebase.”

The Homebase purchase makes Bunnings the second largest home improvement and garden retailer in Britain, after B&Q.